Elon Musk’s Starship launches for third time – and only partly explodes
It was third time lucky for Elon Musk’s record-breaking SpaceX Starship today after its most successful launch test to date.
After two attempts that resulted in the first stage self destructing, today the Super Heavy booster successfully detached, while the second stage, Starship, made it into orbit and fired up its six Raptor engines.
It appears that the Super Heavy booster was forced to self-destruct as it prepared to splashdown back in the ocean, with commentators describing it as having been ‘lost’.
However, it did successfully execute the rocket family’s famous ‘flip’ manoeuvre ready to land, an important step in becoming the world’s biggest reusable rocket.
It seems the boosters then failed to reignite, preventing a controlled descent. it is likely at this point that the ground control team instructed it to self-destruct, preventing it crashing into the ocean at full speed.
Another goal of the test flight was to determine whether the ‘pez dispenser’, or payload door, could successfully open and close – which it passed with flying colours.
Standing at 120m tall, Starship is the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built.
Its maiden voyage last April ended in dramatic fashion when it lost control and exploded four minutes after launching.
Debris from the rocket spewed out and scattered into the Gulf of Mexico waters.
A second test in November was classed a success after the rocket successfully lifted off – despite losing the second stage and the first once again having to self-destruct.
Like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, the vertical take-off and landing Starship system is designed to be fully reusable.
Somewhat confusingly named, it is comprised of two parts – Starship and the Super Heavy booster.
The first stage, the Super Heavy booster, provides the initial thrust for liftoff from 33 Raptor engines.
The second stage, Starship, is designed to carry cargo and crew into space. It will also deliver Nasa’s Artemis pilots to the lunar surface – the Super Heavy booster will not be needed to take-off again because of the lower gravity on the Moon.
However, Nasa’s 2025 timeline for sending humans back to the Moon has now been pushed back to 2026.
Of course, the April explosion was far from the first Starship suffered.
The journey began with the small ‘Spacehopper’ prototype, which hovered just 120m off the ground before landing.
Later iterations didn’t fare so well, with two vehicles, SN8 and SN9, landing too quickly and exploding on impact. SN10 appeared to land safely but exploded shortly after due to a fuel leak caused by the landing.
SN11 broke up on its descent.
SpaceX is nothing if not determined though, and with its lofty ambitions of putting humans on Mars, the journey continues.